Toots & the Maytals

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Out of all the acts who got their chops in the '60s as ska transitioned to rocksteady and finally to reggae, Toots & the Maytals are easily one of the greatest. They'd already released dozens of 7-inch singles by the time of 1969's Sweet and Dandy LP. That album's "Monkey Man," "54-46 That's My Number," and "Pressure Drop" are universally beloved by reggae aficionados, with the last track becoming a cornerstone of the soundtrack to The Harder They Come. They'd continue cranking out classics in the '70s (Funky Kingston; In the Dark; Reggae Got Soul), and kick off the '80s by predating the internet in performing, recording, releasing, and distributing their LP Live over a span of 24 hours. By then, they'd become a veritable institution, and everything Toots Hibbert and his rotating cast of bandmates have done in recent years — from their amazing, transformative 2006 cover of Radiohead's "Let Down" to last year's Grammy-nominated Unplugged on Sugar Hill — has built on an already considerable legacy. 18+.
Sat., April 6, 8 p.m., 2013